New ‘Batman: Arkham City’ Details & Screenshots Reveal Bane Team-Up

When you’re developing a sequel to a critically-acclaimed game, there’s a choice one has to make: Do you follow in the same footsteps as the first, giving the fans more of the same because it worked – or do you attempt to do something different, trying to make the system better, while running the risk of making it worse?

Credit is due at Rocksteady for going for the latter, as they could have easily made Batman: Arkham City the same as Arkham Asylum, and it would probably still have sold incredibly well. Yet, today’s new information seems to continue with the thought process that they’re trying to improve on the wheel, and look to be doing a good job of it.

Following on the reveal of classic Batsuit skins, even more tidbits of info have arisen, details that certainly show all the effort that is being put into making this an incredible game – not just for the superhero sub-genre. The sheer size of the title was hinted at, and we were promised that the main storyline of Arkham City is much bigger than that of Arkham Asylum. Not only that – but players have been promised at least 4 hours of gameplay as Catwoman. If the belief that her role would only take up approximately 10 percent of the game is true, then it’s possible that there could be a total of over 40 hours of gameplay in Arkham City.

Another interesting addition is the ability to go back and try a side-mission a second time later on – should you fail the first time. This way, you don’t always have to worry about getting through the Riddler challenges the first time around – especially if you’re engrossed in the storyline or don’t have all the necessary items.

In addition to the fresh details, check out the new screenshots – which offer more surprising features in the game.

One of the additions shown is a new item called the REC (Remote Electrical Charge). It’s essentially a shotgun that shoots out sparks of electricity, knocking enemies unconscious and electrocuting heavily armored baddies. The downside? The REC will cause enemies with machine guns to accidentally empty their clips into a nearby crowd, so you’ll have to be careful when using it. It can also be used to recharge machines and magnetize metal objects – making it a multi-purpose tool, not just a weapon.

Also revealed is the ability to team-up with returning villain Bane for side missions. The team-up missions pit Bane and Batman together to track down chemical contraband. Whether or not Bane will be playable is unknown – though, given a prior statement by Dax Ginn (Rocksteady marketing game manager) that there will be no Arkham City multiplayer, it seems unlikely that we’ll be taking control of the brute. Eitherway, the team-up also calls into question just what Bane’s role in the game will be – whether as a pure villain that you’re forced to work with or a more ambiguous character?

Are you excited to team-up with Bane? Do you think we’ll be getting co-op multiplayer after-all?

Batman: Arkham City will arrive on October 18th, 2011 for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. It will also appear on the Wii U at an unknown date.